Disney’s strategy with regards to the mobile space seems to be generously present. It has underwritten quite a few popular titles in the last couple of years, and Where’s My Water? was definitely a fan favorite. Where’s My Water? 2 is a sequel that is blessed with a good foundation in the Android gaming world.

For fans of the first iteration (or other Disney-made clones like Where’s My Perry), the gameplay will be very, very familiar: the basic idea is to get water through pipes so Swampy could have a much-wanted shower. The game follows the general rules of physics, and so the water is usually in an elevated position, with immovable rock and flexible dirt serving as barriers. To get the water to the penultimate shower pipe, it’s necessary to move the soft dirt, and this is accomplished by swiping away the dirt on by finger. The games gets craftier with advancement, and errant swipes can be costly, especially since the right water threshold must be attained for the Swampy to get enough water. As usual, the rock cannot be drilled/swiped away, and the rubber duckies are alive and kicking, and available to be “collected” by sustained water contact.

It looks much the same, but with seemingly more vibrant looks. The basic color palette remains similar, but there are a few more environments added in for effect: Soap Factory, Sewer and Beach. The animations are smooth; they retain the cartoon character without being overly silly. The sounds are whimsically appropriate, and all the media comes together quite well.

Probably one of the biggest changes with regards to the game is the addition of challenges. These are innovative flips in the gameplay that literally turn the game upside down. All of a sudden, ducks become untouchable obstacles, gates are to be avoided and more. In Duck Rush, one has to dig down frantically downwards before the water “disappears” while collecting as ducks on the way. There are hints, boosts and facebook functionality built in.

It’s an intense reboot, with a good deal variation that keeps it fresh. There is a lot of the same, and this might be a barrier for some, but the game is a nice one all the same.